Bicycles were first introduced in early-mid 19th century Europe. Today, there are twice as many bicycles as there are cars. Bicycles are human-powered modes of transportation typically consisting of a frame, two wheels, seat, handlebars, pedals, gears, and a chain. By using the pedals, one can propel the bicycle forward and can control the speed at which they move by varying their pedal speed along with changing the associated gears on the bicycle. People can ride bicycles for pleasure or for competitive purposes and the style of bicycle often reflects the intended use. The advent of the bicycle has led to a number of related technologies including stationary bicycles.
Stationary bicycles allow an individual to remain in place as they pedal. Stationary bicycles are typically used in gyms or homes by individuals when the weather is not conducive for riding outside or for training/workout purposes. Stationary bicycles are also used by physical therapist/rehabilitation technician s for rehabilitation purposes. They allow an individual rehabbing to workout various muscles and joints without risking a fall. Additionally, an individual can rehab in such a way as to remove the weight from specific load bearing joints and muscles that may not be ready for full weight bearing exercises.
After an injury or surgery to the hip or knee, one of the first priorities is to begin to restore the range of motion to the affected joint. Typical range of motion of the knee can be measured in knee flexion and knee extension by a device called a goniometer. A goniometer has two pieces that are connected by a central hinge. By lining up each of the pieces along a specific joint area and having the individual move that joint, a value in degrees (i.e. 120°) can be observed and recorded. Knee flexion is when an individual lies on their back and draws their heel to the back of their leg. Typical values for knee flexion are approximately 130-150°. Knee extension is the amount to which a person can straighten their leg. Typical values for knee extension are 0-−10°. The same type of methodology can be applied to the hip as well. Hip flexion is typically measured at about 125°, hip extension approximately 10-15°, hip rotation 30-40°, abduction 40°, and adduction approximately 15-20°. These values represent what is typical in a healthy individual and may have some variance from person to person. After an injury or surgery, these values can be minimal as injury or surgery often results in a substantial loss in range of motion.
Stationary bicycles can be problematic for these individuals since they have such a limited range of motion and/or a decreased amount of strength or muscle tone. The pedals are fixed and create a uniform circumference when rotated. Since these individuals may not be able to fully achieve this rotation they must begin to pedal and then change direction when they have reached their range of motions limits. The process then repeats as they continually pedal and reverse their pedaling direction. Additionally, since the pedals are in a fixed location, once an individual has begun to regain their range of motion there is a limit to how far they are able to progress. The circumference created by the rotating pedals is sized to accommodate the “average” sized person, however, a rehab patient may need a larger or smaller circumference. The fixed pedal throw does not allow multiple users to achieve the same benefits. One user may have shorter legs and/or a more severe injury and the pedal may be too long to rotate comfortably, whereas another individual may be taller or less injured and need a longer pedal throw to achieve the required amount of flexion for optimal recovery. Additionally, stationary bicycles require manual set up and control from the user or a physical therapist/rehabilitation technician to control programming and other options.
Reviewing related technology:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,594,879 teaches a manual rotary rehabilitation apparatus is presented for rehabilitation of a person's extremity, including the joints and assorted muscles, tendons, ligaments, that can be tailored to the person's needs based upon their physical size, type of injury, and plan for recovery. The apparatus facilitates the adjustment of the range of motion of the user's extremity in a cycling action by offsetting a moveable lever from a fixed lever at a plurality of angles. As the user's extremity moves in a circular path, the extremity engages in extension and flexion to cause movements in the articulations formed at the user's joints.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,946 teaches an apparatus for gearless shifting, includes at least one crank, and an arm assembly, coupled to the at least one crank, for telescoping to adjust a length of the at least one crank, to selectively and controllably adjust a stroke length of the at least one crank. A pump also is provided including a variable-stroke length apparatus.
U.S. Patent Application 2012/0167709 teaches a crank system mounted to a drive sprocket of a bicycle includes a crank arm secured to the drive sprocket and disposed at both sides thereof, the crank arm having two bent ends; and two telescopic assemblies each comprising a bar having one end fixedly secured to either end of the crank arm, the bar having a cross section of polygon, the bar including a plurality of longitudinal notches, a sliding tube slidably put on the bar, the sliding tube including a surface opening communicating with the bar, and a pivotal lock member in the surface opening, the lock member being adapted to either dispose in one of the notches in a locked position of the telescopic assembly or clear the notch in a unlocked position of the telescopic assembly. This length adjustable bicycle crank system can save force when pedaling.
U.S. Patent Application 2012/0329611 teaches a motorized rehabilitation apparatus and method for disabled, impaired or injured individuals, which trains a proper gait, increases blood flow, relieves stress, and reconditions lower body muscles and joints. The device comprises a powered stationary bicycle having a seat, handle grips, and rotating foot pedals that receive motive input from an electric motor and user input. The device further includes a pair of thigh braces that are connected together between the user's thighs via a hingeable link and chain that controls and trains an individual's limbs through the pedal rotation. The disclosed method further combines the present bicycle device for rehabilitation in conjunction with visual stimuli in the way of a three dimensional television display that stimulates endorphins, relieves mental stress and allows the motive input from the bicycle and mild user input to exercise the limbs of a user without focusing on the rehabilitation activity.
Various devices are known in the art. However, their structure and means of operation are substantially different from the present disclosure. The other inventions fail to solve all the problems taught by the present disclosure. The current invention provides for a dynamic pedal throw that is automatically changed in response to the user's ability and/or performance. The microprocessor interprets the inputs from the user and converts those to a custom rehabilitation program. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below and will be described in more detail herein.